


My bridge to the future

by Lica_K



Category: Death Stranding (Video Games)
Genre: Cliff Story, Cliff's past, F/M, How Cliff met Lisa, Special fic: birthday gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:01:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27669244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lica_K/pseuds/Lica_K
Summary: A brief glimpse into Captain Clifford Unger's past, before entering the army until he met Sam's mother.
Relationships: Clifford Unger & his grandparents, Die-Hardman & Clifford Unger, Lisa Bridges/Clifford Unger
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	My bridge to the future

**Author's Note:**

> This story is my birthday present for this special character that Hideo Kojima created and shared with all of us. I hope you like it and thank you for the kudos and comments.

Clifford Unger was never a selfish man, no matter what others think. Even after losing his parents too early to even create memories, Cliff was a happy child who loved his grandparents very much. He enjoyed fishing with his grandfather and reading books with his grandmother.

Cliff was the type of boy who could easily charm everyone around him. He was smart, handsome (amber eyes & soft light brown hair), kind, polite & brave. Maybe too brave, since he almost made his grandparents to have a heart attack by climbing a tree to help a cat when he was six.

Over the years, while studying & spending hours in the library reading books, Cliff began to consider what kind of future he will choose. In a utopian way, the boy wanted to help people, keep them safe & perhaps try to prevent others from having to grow up without their parents.

It wasn't like he was sad with his grandparents, it never crossed his mind, however Cliff felt that it wasn't the same if their parents were still alive. For the first time perhaps, he thought that if he ever had a child he would do anything to protect him and be there for him.

Joining the army was the easiest decision he has ever made, even though his grandparents didn't like that he was putting himself in danger. His grandfather had once been a soldier. “Some things are more important than the glory of the battlefield.” his grandfather said.

Cliff didn't understand what he meant at that time. Despite all the difficulties present in a war, the soldier was good at that. The best. As if he was born to do that. Cliff didn’t deny there was a certain pleasure to win in a battlefield, something like the taste of cigarettes.

Victories are sometimes accompanied by the loss of companions or even superiors who made the wrong decisions. In the heat of battle, there are no second chances for mistakes. More than winning, Cliff began to worry about keeping his friends alive so they could all go back home.

War after war, he realized his career as a military wouldn't be as heroic as he had considered. Cliff was a good soldier there was no doubt, but it was like he was hurting people more than helping. Sometimes he felt like a cliff & it scared him more than the possibility of dying.

His grandmother passed away when he was on a mission overseas & Cliff for the first time hated himself for not having been there with his grandfather to be able to say goodbye to her. On that day he understood what his grandfather said to him before leaving home to join the army.

It was during the time when he was a lieutenant that Cliff met an interesting young man who would become part of his team. Young John McClane had all the energy and excitement to obey orders that made Cliff smile and remember the time when he himself behaved the same way.

He still liked to read & sometimes Cliff took small books with him during his missions, reading with the help of the flashlight while the unit was sleeping under the night sky with the stars & the moon as their only companion. Like everything else the world was beautiful & cruel.

Soon he became captain of the Army Special Forces and was known for bringing back his unit alive and unscathed. That didn't mean much, especially when his grandfather's health deteriorated. Taking some time off, Cliff kept his grandfather company until he took his last breath.

For the first time really alone in this world, Cliff began to dedicate himself more to his work as the leader of his unit and keep them alive even if it meant that he had to risk his life to protect them. It didn't matter if he was a cliff that had no way of moving forward.

Everything changed when a friend of his convinced him to go to a party during the time when Cliff's unit was in France. It was rare that he and his men actually had the time to enjoy the place where they were sent. Apparently the party was someone's birthday celebration.

The fact that Cliff knew French didn't make him feel more comfortable in that place full of people talking, drinking & laughing with a background of classical music & with the passing of the minutes he started to think of an excuse to leave early without being rude to his friend.

The instant he realized his cigarette pack was empty, Cliff started looking for his friend among the guests when his eyes were drawn to a beautiful woman with a smile as vivid as her blue eyes. She looked like a piece of art. Cliff knew nothing about art, but he was sure of it.

The presence of the charming woman seemed to be enough to keep him at that party if it meant he could continue to admire her from afar. Cliff didn't feel shy or anything like that. He was just trying to convince himself that this was not the time to be taken in by his feelings.

In the next instant Cliff was surprised to realize the woman in question was at his side looking at him almost with the same fascination that he felt for her, which in his mind didn't make much sense since of all the guests Cliff probably he was the one with the simplest clothes.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked in French as the two looked at each other. "I would love to" she replied with a smile that made him feel more alive than he had in the past few years. When their hands touched, he smiled remembering he didn't know how to dance. Her name was Lisa.


End file.
